Angola

Chinese Aid Brings Inauguration of 2 New Institutes

Sumbe Polytechnic Institute and Waku High Agrarian Institute in the central province of Kwanza-Sul were opened in September. The new institutions will cater to more than 1,000 students each, and have been opened through cooperation between the governments of Angola and China.

– Angola Press Agency
September 7, 2007

Nigeria

New Government Suspends Education Reforms of Previous Administration

The Nigerian Government suspended a series of education reforms initiated under the administration of former president, Olesegun Obasanjo, saying some of the policies were implemented without regard to existing laws. Primary among the reforms to be reversed was a directive that sought to consolidate the tertiary sector through a series of mergers between polytechnics and universities, a process designed to phase out the National Diploma and Higher National Diploma in favor of bachelor degrees.

Government bodies such as the Federal Scholarship Board (FSB) have been reinstituted after being merged with other bodies, the Education Trust Fund in the case of the FSB.

Minister of Education, Dr. Igwe Aja-Nwachuku, announced the changes in Abuja during his first official visit to the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Educational Trust Fund (ETF), stating that new laws need to be enacted through the necessary legal framework and after transparent debate and consultation with the relevant stakeholders.

– This Day
August 29, 2007

Rwanda

National Body Sets Quality Regulations

The National Council of Higher Education is an independent body mandated by the government to ensure quality standards in Rwandan higher education. In September, the council released a letter stating that credentials awarded by institutions of higher education operating in the country without approval from the council will not be recognized.

Seven private institutions of higher learning are currently being vetted by the council: Université Laique Adventiste de Kigali (Unilak); Umatara Polytechnic; Kigali Institute of Management; Institute Polytechnique de Byumba; Institute of Agriculture, Technology and Education; Université Catholique de Kabgayi and Institute Supérieur de Ruhengeri.

The council issued a code of practice in September to private institutions of higher education, and expects compliance within a year. Last September, the government released a list of nine universities approved to operate in the country: National University of Rwanda, Kigali Institute of Science and Technology, Kigali Health Institute, Universit é Libre de Kigali, School of Finance and Banking, Kigali Institute of Education, Institute of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, l’Université Adventiste d’Afrique Centrale, and Institut Supérieur Pédagogique de Gitwe.

– New Times
September 15, 2007

Sudan

Norway Refuels University Cooperation with Sudan

Despite a lapse in cooperation through the 1990s, Norway has a 40-year history of university cooperation with Sudan, and now the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has given impetus to a resumption of cooperative efforts by making available more than US$10 million over five years to finance university initiatives between Norway and Sudan.  It is explicitly stated in the mandate that this is “…to contribute to capacity building to secure sustainable institutions in Southern Sudan and other marginalized areas.”  The mandate further states that, “the inclusion of cooperation with relevant institutions of higher education in North Sudan or other African countries and Norway is encouraged as long as a Southern Sudanese partner is involved.”

– ACA Secretariat
August 2007

Uganda

KIU Medical School Accredited

Kampala International University (KIU) medical school has been officially recognized by regulatory bodies in the three East African countries of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, after three years in limbo. The three bodies recognizing medical degrees from KIU are the Kenya Medical and Dentists Board, the Medical Council of Tanganyika, and the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council.

The university has been the matter of some controversy since the 2004 announcement by the Ugandan National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) that it was operating illegally and without accreditation. The university in turn accused the council of harassment and trying to prevent it from competing with other medical schools. President Yoweri Museveni officially opened the school in October 2004.

– New Vision
August 29, 2007

New University Begins First Classes

The first ever lectures took place this month at Uganda’s newest institution of higher education, Lugazi University. Approved by the National Council for Higher Education in October 2006, Lugazi University is a private university housed on the grounds of the former Ntinda View College (secondary school), and is the second university in the country’s Mukono district. Lugazi will offer 11 degrees, 25 diplomas and 25 certificate courses from two academic areas– humanities and science and information technology. These two faculties house the departments of arts and social sciences, education, business management, information science, science, and law. One discipline that the institution aims to accentuate in its education offerings is computer literacy. There was an inaugural enrollment of 800 degree students and 400 diploma students.

– New Vision
September 4, 2007

Ugandan Private Universities Largely Operating without Accreditation

Most private universities in Uganda have not yet met the standards for full accreditation by the National Council for Higher Education (NHCE), according to officials, who state that the only accredited, or chartered, private universities in the country are Uganda Christian University (2004), Uganda Martyrs University (2005), and Nkumba University (2006).

There are 22 universities in Uganda. Five of them are public institutions and 17 are private. After the NCHE became operational in 2003, it announced that all universities and tertiary institutions were to re-apply for licenses and later get registered or chartered. Of 137 non-university tertiary institutions, only 17 have been granted provisional licenses and only Makerere Business Institute is fully registered and accredited. This means its qualifications and awards are equivalent in merit to those offered by public tertiary institutions and other registered private institutions.

The accreditation of private universities is done in three phases: an interim letter of authority is granted, allowing the university to raise capital and organize infrastructure, but not to advertise its programs or admit students. After fulfilling these conditions, it applies for a provisional license, which allows it to admit students. After three years, institutions are required to upgrade to charter level if they want to offer graduate programs. Charters are awarded after a quality assurance process that includes an internal audit and an external visit. Credentials awarded by chartered private universities are considered equivalent to those of public universities: Makerere University, Kyambogo University, Gulu University, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, and Busitema University.

– New Vision
September 18, 2007